Compartmented container



1964 a. M. NOLEN 3,145,902

COMPARTMENTED CONTAINER Filed Dec. 24, 1962 2 Sheets-Shem: l

I. "kw g m 22) v 1 m I l H6 4 w INVENTOR Ben M. Nolen ATTORNEYS Aug. 25,1964 B. M. NOLEN COMPARTMENTED CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 24,1962 INVENTOR Ben M. Nolen FIG.5

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,145,902 COMPARTMENTED CONTAINE R Ben M.Nolen, Dallas, Tex., assignor to Fleming 8: Sons, Inc., Dallas, Tex., acorporation of Texas Filed Dec. 24, 1962, Ser. No. 246,798 3 Claims.(Cl. 229-27) This invention relates to new and useful improvements incompartmented containers.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved compartmentedcontainer for transportlng fruits and vegetables as well as otherfragile articles in such manner as to prevent damaging thereof.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an improvedcompartmented container of the foldmg type which is adapted to be formedfrom a one-piece blank with substantially no waste of material and WhlChis adapted to be erected from the folded and connected blank without theuse of adhesive or other fastening means.

Another object of the invention is to providean improved compartmentedcontainer having interlocking partitions of full depth and length madeintegral with the walls of the erected container and means coacting withthe partitions for increasing the rigidity of said erected container.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an improvedcontainer, of the character described, having two-ply partitions andreinforcing panels made integral with the upper margins of the plies ofone partition for overlying the partition extending transverselythereof.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafterdescribed, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank for a compartmented containerconstructed in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the container in partiallyerected condition,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the erected container with three of itsfour top panels open and with a portion of the reinforcing panels brokenaway to show the interlocking relation of the partitions,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the erected container closed, and

FIG. 5 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view, taken on the line 55of FIG. 4.

In the drawings, the numeral designates a blank of corrugated paperboardor other suitable bendable sheet material for forming a container 11which is particularly adapted for use in packing fruits and vegetables.The blank 10 is of oblong, rectangular shape and includes a pair oflongitudinal side walls 12 and a pair of end or transverse side walls 13hinged to one another in alternate, end-to-end relationship by verticalfold lines 14 extending transversely of said blank. Preferably,horizontal slots 15 are formed in the end walls 13 adjacent their uppermargins to provide handholds and/or ventilation openings. A transverse,vertical fold line 16 hinges a coextensive flap 17 to the outer endmargin of one of the side walls 12 for attachment to the outer endmargin of one of the end walls 13 by suitable fastening means, such asstaples 18 (FIGS. 3 and 4), but the flap could be carried by said endwall and attached to said side wall. Each of the side walls has asubstantially coextensive cover or top panel 19, of a transverse widthone-half the width of the end walls, hinged to its upper longitudinalmargin by a longitudinal fold line 20, while a parallel hinge line 21connects a lock or tuck-in flap 22 to the outer longitudinal margin ofeach cover panel. As will be explained, the lock flap 22 is of lesslength than the cover panel 19 so as to have its ends spaced inwardly ofthe ends of said cover panel.

Longitudinal fold lines 23 hinge the outer longitudinal margins ofbottom panels 24, of slightly less length, to the lower longitudinalmargins of the side walls 12 and longitudinal partition panels 25 arehinged to the opposite or inner longitudinal margins of the bottompanels by similar fold lines 26. It is noted that the partition panels25 as well as the cover panels 19 and bottom panels 24 are of slightlyless length than the side walls 12 to facilitate folding of the blankand that said bottom panels are of a transverse width one-half the widthof the end walls 13. The outer or upper longitudinal margin of eachpartition panel has a reinforcing panel 27 hinged thereto by alongitudinal fold line 28.

A top panel 29 is attached to the upper margin of each end wall 13 by alongitudinal fold line 30 which is substantially alined with butslightly offset downwardly or inwardly of the fold lines 20. The toppanels 29 are contiguous and separated from the cover panels 19 bytransverse slots 31 which are substantially alined with the fold lines14 whereby, longitudinally of the blank, said top panels are of slightlyless dimension than the end walls. Transversely of the blank, the toppanels may have substantially the same dimensions as the combineddimension of the cover panels and their lock flaps 22. A bottom panel 32has its outer margin hinged to the lower margin of each end wall by alongitudinal fold line 33 and is separated from the adjacent side bottompanels 24 by transverse slots 34 which are substantially alined with thefold lines 14. Transversely of the blank, the length of the end bottompanels 32 is one-half the longitudinal length of the side bottom panelsand greater than the width of the latter panels whereby the outerportions of said end bottom panels are adjacent the inner portions ofthe longitudinal partition panels 25.

A transverse or cross partition panel 35 is connected to the outer orupper margin of each end bottom panel by a longitudinal fold line 36 andmay have its outer or upper margin alined with the outer or freelongitudinal margins of the reinforcing panels 27. The cross partitionpanels 35 are of less width than the bottom panels 32, longitudinally ofthe blank, and are spaced from the adjacent longitudinal partitionpanels 25 and reinforcing panels 27 by portions 37 of the transverseslots 34 which are of increased width. It is noted that the cross andlongitudinal partition panels are of substantially the same transversewidth as the side and end walls 12 and 13.

For receiving the cross partition panels 35, transverse slots 38 extendfrom the longitudinal fold lines 23 throughout the medial portion of thebottom partition panels 24, across the fold lines 26 and throughapproximately onehalf of the medial portion of the longitudinalpartition panels 25. Each cross partition panel has a coactingtransverse slot 39 in the outer or upper half of its medial portion topermit interlocking or nesting of the panel with the longitudinalpartition panels. Since the lock flaps 22 are adapted to engage in theslot 39, when the container is closed as shown in FIG. 5, said slots aretapered and have outwardly diverging sides.

Similar transverse slots 40 extend medially of the major portions of thetop panels 29 from their outer end margins to accommodate the lockflaps, the outward convergence of the slots 40 permits slight inwardflexing of the portions of each top panel on each side of its slot, whensaid panel is folded inwardly as shown in FIG. 3, without closing theslots and binding the lock flaps. As shown by the numeral 41, thetransverse ends of the lock flaps 22 are notched or recessed to providehooks or tabs for engaging beneath the portions of the top panels at theends of the slots 40 to retain said flaps in latched position. The hooks41 as well as the transverse ends of the reinforcing panels 27 may berelieved or tapered in the usual manner.

Except for its small cut-outs and attachment flap 17, the blank 10 maybe rectangular and make possible absolute minimum waste of materialwithout any portion of the retained material being superfluous. Althoughthe container is shown partially erected in FIG. 2, this view is forillustration purposes only since the blank is first folded flat on twoof its transverse fold lines 14 and its attaching flap 17 is stapled orotherwise secured to the free transverse margin of the appropriate endwall 13. This folded condition facilitates storage and shipment of thecontainer. When it is desired to erect the container, it is expanded oropened to dispose the side walls 12 and their associated panels at rightangles to the end walls and their panels. One of the side bottom panels24 is folded inwardly on the line 23 and the contiguous longitudinalpartition panel 25 is folded upwardly on the line 26, between andsubstantially parallel to the side walls. Then, the other side bottompanel and longitudinal partition panel are folded inwardly and upwardlyon the lines 23 and 26 whereby the bottom panels are coplanar and thelongitudinal partition panels are in face to face relationship (FIG. 3).

Next, the end bottom and cross partition panels 32 and 35 are foldedinwardly on the lines 33 and 36 to position said bottom panels inoverlying relation to the bottom panels 24 and to permit insertion ofthe cross partition panels through the transverse slots 38 into face toface relationship between and parallel to the end walls 13. Due to theinterlocking or nesting engagement provided by the slots 38 and 39, thepartition panels are held in right angular relationship and coact toprovide four rectangular compartments 42. The reinforcing panels 27 arefolded outwardly on the lines 28 toward the side walls into overlyingrelation to the cross partition panels and substantially parallelrelation to the bottom panels to substantially close the compartments 42and provide a longitudinal groove or pocket 43 between the longitudinalpartition panels for the lock flaps 22 (FIGS. 3 and As shown in FIG. 3,the top panels 29 are adapted to be folded inwardly on the lines 30 soas to overlie the reinforcing panels. Final closing of the container isaccomplished by folding the cover panels 19 inwardly on the lines 20,after folding of the lock flaps on the lines 21, to engage said lockflaps in the pocket 43 with their hooks 41 beneath the top panels at theends of the slots 40 (FIG. 4).

Although the container is ideally suited for the packaging, storage andtransportation of vegetables and fruits, including bananas, it is notlimited to such use and may be utilized for fragile and other types ofarticles. Due to the two-ply or double panel construction of itspartitions and the two-ply thickness of its top and bottom, thecontainer has unusual rigidity and is capable of withstanding roughhandling as well as heavy loads. In particular, the structure of thecontainer lends itself to stacking a relatively large number ofcontainers on one another. The reinforcing panels are of utmostimportance because they amplify the surficial area of the verticalsupport provided by the partitions and substantially prevent distortionof said partitions and crushing of the top or cover of the container. Ineffect, the large area of the reinforcing panels converts the top of thecontainer to a three-ply construction. Also, the reinforcing panelsstrengthen the longitudinal partition panels against transverse bendingin coaction with the cross partition panels.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof andvarious changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in thedetails of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope ofthe appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A compartmented container including end and side walls hinged to oneanother, top and bottom panels hinged to the upper and lower margins ofthe side Walls and coacting to provide top and bottom walls for thecontainer, bottom panels hinged to the lower margins of the end wallsand externally overlying the bottom panels hinged to said side walls,and upright partition panels hinged to the end bottom panels and sidebottom panels and extending transversely and longitudinally between saidside and end walls, respectively, said side bottom panels and the lowerportions of the longitudinal partition panels having alined slots forreceiving the transverse partition panels, the upper portions of saidtransverse partition panels having upright slots for receiving the upperportions of said longitudinal partition panels to permit interlockingengagement of said partition panels and provide compartments in thecontainer, and reinforcing panels hinged to and extending laterally fromthe upper margins of said longitudinal partition panels in overlyingengagement with said transverse partition panels and in underlyingengagement with the top wall of the container.

2. A compartmented container as set forth in claim 1 including flapshinged to the top panels which are hinged to the side Walls, the uppermargins of the longitudinal partition panels coacting to provide apocket therebetween for receiving and confining the flaps.

3. A compartmented container as set forth in claim 1 including toppanels hinged to the upper margins of the end walls and interposedbetween the top panels of the side walls and the reinforcing panels,each top panel having a slot alined and coacting with the pocket formedby the upper margins of the longitudinal partition panels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,360,931 Brockman Oct. 24, 1944 2,450,941 Crane Oct. 12, 1948 2,475,107Newsom July 5, 1949 2,965,277 Prieto Dec. 20, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS73,755 Denmark Feb. 4, 1952 762,358 Great Britain Nov. 28, 1956

1. A COMPARTMENTED CONTAINER INCLUDING END AND SIDE WALLS HINGED TO ONEANOTHER, TOP AND BOTTOM PANELS HINGED TO THE UPPER AND LOWER MARGINS OFTHE SIDE WALLS AND COACTING TO PROVIDE TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS FOR THECONTAINER, BOTTOM PANELS HINGED TO THE LOWER MARGINS OF THE END WALLSAND EXTERNALLY OVERLYING THE BOTTOM PANELS HINGED TO SAID SIDE WALLS,AND UPRIGHT PARTITION PANELS HINGED TO THE END BOTTOM PANELS AND SIDEBOTTOM PANELS AND EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY AND LONGITUDINALLY BETWEEN SAIDSIDE AND END WALLS, RESPECTIVELY, SAID SIDE BOTTOM PANELS AND THE LOWERPORTIONS OF THE LONGITUDINAL PORTION PANELS HAVING ALINED SLOTS FORRECEIVING THE TRANSVERSE PARTITION PANELS, THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAIDTRANSVERSE PARTITION PANELS HAVING UPRIGHT SLOTS FOR RECEIVING THE UPPERPOR-